Last checked: 24 October 2026

Bringing your pets from South Africa to the USA

Refugees: the programme does not move or pay for pets. The Embassy page of 7 October 2026 says neither the U.S. government nor USRAP implementing partners assist in or fund pet transport. Embassy Pretoria is not working with any entity to move pets. Arrange pet travel yourself after you arrive. The Embassy recommends waiting at least 90 days, because the first housing may not allow pets, and no one in the programme will move the pet inside the United States [source].

The Embassy FAQ answers "How do I arrange for my pet to join me?" in the same way: USRAP cannot fund or assist travel for pets or emotional-support animals, and it strongly discourages bringing pets until at least 90 days after the refugees arrive. Pets limit housing. Deposits and monthly pet rent cannot be paid from resettlement support. Later you may use a shipper. Not every animal can be admitted. The process can take a long time and cost a lot [source].

Beware of anyone who says they are coordinating with the government to move a pet or to speed up your case. Report that on the USRAP Tip Form linked from the Embassy page [source]. See Avoiding scams.

How long it takes

Count back from the dog's travel date. These figures are the ones CDC states for a foreign-vaccinated dog that has been in a high-risk rabies country. South Africa is on CDC's high-risk list [source, source]. Where a page gives no time, this table says so. Do not use European or British export timetables for a trip to the United States. Those rules are not on the CDC or South African pages checked.

When, counted back from the dog's travel date	What has to be true	Where it is stated
Before the rabies vaccine	A microchip that a universal scanner can read must already be in place. A vaccine given before the chip does not count. The chip number goes on the forms.	CDC foreign-vaccinated dogs
Dog's age on the day of entry	At least 6 months old. The dog must also appear healthy.	CDC foreign-vaccinated dogs
First valid rabies vaccine	At or after 12 weeks (84 days) of age. Vaccines before 12 weeks are not accepted for a dog that has been in a high-risk country in the prior 6 months. If it is the first vaccine, it must be given at least 28 days before entry.	CDC foreign-vaccinated dogs
At least 30 days after that first valid vaccine, and at least 28 days before entry	Blood draw for a rabies serology titer at a CDC-approved laboratory. If later valid boosters never lapsed, CDC allows a later draw. If coverage lapsed, wait at least 30 days after the new dose. A passing result stays valid for the life of the dog if coverage does not lapse and the lab stays approved.	CDC foreign-vaccinated dogs
Lab turnaround	Not stated as one number. CDC says the estimated turnaround time varies and tells you to ask the laboratory. CDC recommends talking to the vet about sending the sample at least 60 days or more before travel.	CDC-approved labs
60 days or more before travel	CDC's checklist calls this a recommended start: confirm the chip, make sure the vaccine will not expire, start the airline reservation if you have one, and draw blood if the first valid vaccine was already at least 30 days earlier. CDC does not call 60 days a legal minimum. It does not, by itself, cover a dog that still needs its first valid vaccine.	CDC checklist
30 days or more before travel	Last chance to draw blood, and the draw must still be at least 28 days before travel. Reserve a CDC-registered animal care facility. If you do not have a valid titer, the reservation has to include 28 days of quarantine. The reservation confirmation travels with the dog.	CDC checklist
No more than 30 days before travel	A vet completes the Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form. An official government veterinarian of the exporting country endorses it. It is valid for 30 days after the examining vet signs it, for one entry, and it must be printed for the airline and for CBP. CDC does not set one price. Ask the vet.	CDC certification form
South African state vet	How long the state vet takes, and a separate U.S. validity window for a South African certificate: not stated. The Department of Agriculture says that for exports other than its Namibia guide you contact your local state veterinarian. An older department PDF says a private vet cannot give the official certificate and the exporter pays the preparation costs.	Department of Agriculture, older export PDF
The week of travel, or the day of travel	CDC says you may complete the CDC Dog Import Form on the day of travel and recommends doing it a few days before. If the date or airport changes, submit a new form. For a foreign-vaccinated dog from a high-risk country, the receipt is for one entry and only for the arrival date on the form. The instructions page says a high-risk receipt is valid for one dog, one time. The six-month receipt is only in the low-risk section. Do not use it for a dog from South Africa.	CDC foreign-vaccinated dogs, CDC Dog Import Form instructions
Photo, if the dog is under 1 year	The instructions say the photo should be taken within 15 days before arrival.	CDC Dog Import Form instructions
Airline booking	One book-by deadline for every airline: not stated by the pages checked. Florida says contact the airline as early as you can. Most airlines want a health certificate within 7 to 10 days of travel, and some will not accept one unless the exam was within 10 days. That varies. CDC does not state a general health certificate as its own requirement. States and airlines may ask for one.	Florida animal movement, CDC bringing an animal
After arrival	The dog must land at the airport where the CDC-registered facility is, the airport on the form receipt. No domestic onward travel until the exam and a U.S.-licensed rabies revaccination are done. The importer pays the facility. How long that visit takes when the titer is already valid: not stated. If there is no valid titer, quarantine can be 28 days. CDC says quarantine can be shortened if certain criteria are met. Those criteria are on CDC's FAQ. This page does not restate them.	CDC foreign-vaccinated dogs

A realistic total, using only those figures. If the dog still needs its first valid vaccine, the earliest blood draw is 30 days later, and that draw must also be at least 28 days before entry. That is 58 days after the vaccine, and only if a CDC-approved lab returns a result CDC will accept in time. CDC does not publish one turnaround number [source, source]. The dog must also be at least 6 months old on the day it enters [source]. If there is no valid titer, add 28 days of quarantine after arrival [source].

That CDC clock is separate from the Embassy clock. The Embassy recommends at least 90 days after the person arrives before the pet travels, and the programme does not pay [source, source].

Dogs: what CDC requires from a high-risk country

South Africa is on the high-risk countries list [source].
Certification form, filled by a vet and endorsed by an official government veterinarian, completed no more than 30 days before travel [source].
A valid rabies serology titer from a CDC-approved lab, or a reservation that includes 28-day quarantine [source, source].
A reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility, and arrival at that airport [source].
Microchip before the vaccine. The number is on every form [source].
Appear healthy. At least 6 months old [source].
Documents in English, or with a certified English translation [source].
The CDC Dog Import Form is required for each dog. After you confirm the email, the receipt is emailed. The instructions say the verification message comes from 1cdpwebsurvey@cdc.gov and the receipt arrives within 15 minutes of the first submission. Show it to the airline and to CBP [source].
A fee for the CDC Dog Import Form: not stated on the instructions page checked. The direct form address is on that instructions page. This guide does not copy a second address [source].

Cats

CDC says a cat must appear healthy and can be inspected. It can be denied if there is evidence of a disease that spreads from animals to people. If the cat is ill, a vet exam at the owner's expense may be required [source].
CDC does not require proof of rabies vaccination for cats. It recommends the vaccine. The destination state and the airline may require more. Hawaii and Guam have quarantine even for animals that come from the U.S. mainland [source].
A CDC microchip rule or a CDC waiting period for cats: not stated on the cat page checked [source].
USDA APHIS says it has no animal-health requirements for a pet cat. It tells you to check CDC, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the destination state [source].

USDA APHIS rules for dogs

APHIS says CDC is the main authority for dog rabies rules. APHIS adds rules if a country is affected by foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) or screwworm [source].

If the country is FMD-affected: fur and bedding free of excessive dirt, hay or straw; bathe the dog on arrival and keep it away from livestock for 5 days. APHIS does not require a document for that step [source].
If the country is screwworm-affected: a certificate, signed by a full-time salaried veterinary official of the region, that the dog was inspected within 5 days before shipment and is free of screwworm, or was infested, quarantined and treated until free. APHIS does not publish a template [source].
The disease-status page tells you to follow those rules if a country is "not free". On 24 October 2026 that page did not name South Africa. This guide does not say South Africa is, or is not, FMD-affected or screwworm-affected. Check the lists [source].

South Africa: the export certificate

The Department of Agriculture says that, apart from its Namibia guide, you contact your local state veterinarian about exports [source].
A U.S.-specific validity window on that page: not stated [source].
An older PDF still on the former department site says the provincial state vet certifies the importing country's health certificate if the requirements are met, a private vet cannot give official certification, and the exporter bears the preparation costs [source].
The document the government vet must endorse for CDC is the certification form above. It is a 30-day document. This guide does not invent a second South African expiry date [source, source].

Airline crate

IATA is the airline industry body, not a government. Its pet page (Container Requirement 1) says only small dogs and cats may travel in the cabin, and some airlines will not allow that and use a heated, ventilated hold [source].

Measure A from nose to the base of the tail, B from the ground to the elbow, C across the shoulders or the widest point, and D as standing height to the top of the head or the ear tip, whichever is higher [source].
Length is A plus half of B. Width is C times 2 (times 3 for two animals, times 4 for three). Height is D plus bedding. Snub-nosed breeds need a container 10 percent larger [source].
Weaned puppies or kittens from the same litter, not older than 6 months, up to 14 kg each, up to three in one container. Two compatible adults up to 14 kg each may share. Heavier animals travel alone [source].
IATA says to get the animal used to the crate a few weeks or months before the trip. It also says a light meal 2 hours before the animal is handed over is a legal requirement in the United States. That sentence is IATA's [source].

If you are going to Florida

These points are only for Florida. Other states differ. APHIS tells you to check the agriculture department of the state you are entering [source, source].

An official certificate of veterinary inspection is normally required within 30 days of issue. Florida lists exceptions, including a privately owned pet travelling with its owner [source].
Dogs and cats 3 months and older that are brought into Florida, including privately owned pets with their owners, need proof of a current rabies vaccination from a licensed veterinarian [source].
Inside Florida, dogs and cats 4 months and older need a current USDA-approved rabies vaccination [source].

A separate Florida notice about screwworm and travel between U.S. states is not a South Africa import rule. This page does not mix the two [source].

Refugee flights

The only official USRAP travel booker the October 2026 Embassy page names is RSC Africa, operated by Church World Service. The Embassy prints https://mycase.rscafrica.org/ as that partner's site. Travel booked by anyone else is not supported and can put your entry and initial help at risk [source].
The same page does not name the International Organization for Migration as the office that books this programme's flights [source].
Whether a particular RSC Africa ticket can include a pet: not stated. Ask RSC Africa, and ask your resettlement agency, before you assume the seat or the hold can take an animal [source].
The first 90 days service list from ORR does not mention pets [source].
Costs are the family's. The Embassy says pet transport is not funded. CDC says the importer pays the animal-care facility. The older South African export note says the exporter pays preparation costs [source, source, source].